ADT Security vs. Vivint Smart Home

We tested Vivint and ADT systems and combed through the fine print to compare these security giants. Most of the time, Vivint is #1.
Better for month-to-month contract
Vivint
Vivint
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
Starting from$29.99/mo.
  • pro
    Emphasis on smart home
  • pro
    Affordable pro installation
Trusted brand name
SafeStreets
ADT Home Security
4 out of 5 stars
4
Starting from$45.99/mo
  • pro
    150 years of security experience
  • pro
    3-year contract minimum

Data as of post date Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

For over 12 years, SafeWise has conducted independent research and testing to write unbiased, human reviews (not robots). Read our methodology.

Why you can trust SafeWise
products considered
250+
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10k+
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Vivint and ADT are major competitors in the home security space, and they're extremely similar in terms of smart home integrations, equipment selection, and monitoring quality. The major differences between Vivint vs. ADT boil down to how you pay for the equipment: 

  • Vivint offers a month-to-month contract option to people who pay upfront for their equipment and a 3.5–5-year contract for people looking to finance the equipment.
  • ADT requires a 3-year contract with no upfront equipment fees. 

In our Vivint vs. ADT review, we'll point out the other differences between these two companies to help you decide which one's right for you. 


Image: SafeWise

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Vivint vs. ADT at a glance

Brand
Lowest monitoring price
Installation fee
Cancellation penalty
Contract length
Learn more

$29.99

$99

100% of remaining balanceMonth-to-month or 3.5 years and up
$45.99

$99–$199

75% of remaining balance

3 years

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read full disclaimer.
Full ADT disclaimer

Key differences between ADT vs Vivint

Monthly monitoring price: Vivint's month fees start at around $32 per month for basic security sensors and increase by $5/mo. for every camera added to the system. ADT's monitoring fees range from about $46 to $65 per month based on whether you add smart home devices and video recording. (ADT also has a $28.99 plan that's only for landline systems.)

Equipment fee: Vivint allows you to buy its equipment for a one-time fee or bundle it into your monthly fees. With ADT, the cost of the equipment is always bundled into the monthly cost of the system, which could save you hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in upfront costs. 

Contract: Vivint offers a month-to-month service contract to customers who pay for all of their equipment upfront. If you need to finance the equipment, Vivint requires a 3.5- to 5-year service contract. ADT's contracts typically last 3 years.

When choosing a home security provider, consider contract terms, cancellation policies, and whether you’ll own the equipment. The FTC has great information on how to protect yourself from poor cancellation policies

Cancellation policies: Vivint requires 100% of the remaining balance to be paid before the contract can be cancelled. With ADT, only 75% of the remaining balance is owed.

Money-back guarantee: ADT has the most generous money-back guarantee in the industry at a whopping 6 months. Vivint gives you just 3 days to trial the system. 

Theft protection guarantee: If your ADT system is armed and someone still breaks into your house, ADT will pay up to $500 toward your insurance deductible. Vivint doesn't offer this. 

Equipment selection: Both brands sell home security essentials with a couple unique offerings, such as Vivint's wearable panic button and a DVR that stores up to 10 days of continuous video storage. Of the two brands, only ADT sells a heat sensor, whole-home siren, and smart light bulbs. Learn more in our Vivint equipment and ADT equipment guides.

Warranty: ADT doesn't offer a warranty, but Vivint isn't much better because its limited warranty only lasts 120 days (4 months). Both companies offer paid protection plans instead. 

Vivint vs. ADT similarities

Professional installation: Both brands require professional installation and charge a fee for that service. Expect a $49 flat fee for Vivint installation. ADT installation costs start at $99 for security equipment and cameras then go up to $199 when you get the largest package.

Custom equipment packages: Both companies can send someone to your home to evaluate the layout and prepare a custom list of equipment. 

Professional monitoring: When something triggers the alarm, a monitoring professional will contact police or emergency services for you. Vivint and ADT both offer monitoring for smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and video. ADT stands out with six redundant monitoring centers and its longstanding experience.

Monitoring centers: ADT and Vivint operate their own monitoring centers rather than outsourcing this service to a third-party. Both brands have earned The Monitoring Association's prestigious Five Diamond certification, which signifies excellent monitoring services. ADT owns six centers throughout the US, while Vivint currently has two. 

Smart home capabilities: ADT sells Google Nest products directly, but guess what—Vivint systems also work with Google Nest products. Both brands also work with Amazon Alexa for voice control and smart home integration. 

Mobile apps: ADT and Vivint include mobile app access with all of their monitoring packages. ADT's apps have higher ratings than the Vivint app, which gets better reviews from iPhone users than Android users.

Guest access: If you want to grant someone the ability to arm and disarm the system without letting them change settings or access private information, you can give them guest access on either brand's mobile app. 

Cellular backup: Both systems connect to Wi-Fi as their main source of communication, but they fall back on cellular signals if there's ever a Wi-Fi outage. 

Vivint pros and cons

pro
Vivint pros
pro Option for month-to-month contract
pro Potentially lower monthly fees
pro Affordable professional installation
pro Works with a variety of smart home equipment
pro Guest access on mobile app
pro Owned and operated monitoring center
con
Vivint cons
con Higher termination fees
con Limited trial period (3 days)
con Short warranty (120 days)

Vivint is better for affordable monthly fees

As long as you're okay with paying for your security equipment upfront, Vivint is the better option for lower monthly fees. If you want to stick to the essentials like a doorbell camera, entry sensors, and motion detectors, you could save about $15 a month with Vivint vs. ADT. Vivint installation also costs $50–$150 less. 

Plus, you can get all the perks of a professionally installed and monitoring home security system with a monthly contract by paying for Vivint's equipment upfront. According to our 2024 survey, 61% of consumers with long-term home security contracts regretted their decision due to high costs or inflexible terms, but most people are happy with their month-to-month contracts.

Icon Quote  Dark
Thoughts from a Vivint customer
"First, it was the ease of setting up the visit. [...] Second, it was the quality of the product. Third, the install was relatively smooth and easy - the technician installed the outdoor cameras despite inclement weather. With the protection package, we will not have to worry about DIY fixes to anything that fails - unlike ADT which DIY-ed us to death. We left ADT due to their poor service (refused to send out a truck roll), outdated equipment, and constantly failing components."

ADT Home Security pros and cons

pro
ADT pros
pro Strong reputation w/ 150 years of experience
pro 6 monitoring centers
pro Outstanding customer guarantees
pro No upfront equipment fees
pro Less expensive cancellation penalty
con
ADT cons
con Long-term contracts required
con More expensive installation

ADT is best for reputation and customer policies

There's one bragging right that always sets ADT apart: a 150-year track record. If reputation puts you at ease more than anything, go with ADT. You'll also get slightly better cancellation terms and more generous guarantees. 

ADT is also the better option if you want to have a lot of cameras. Vivint's monthly monitoring fee increases with every camera, so it may be cheaper to go with ADT if you want to keep an eye on every corner of your property.

Icon Quote  Dark
Thoughts from an ADT customer
"The time the technician took to go over our options was amazing. He proved to be very thoughtful and patient. He explained the pros and cons (if applicable) of each device in all service packages to make sure we purchased a system that was best for our family needs."
—Mashiki Brooks via Trustpilot, 3/20/2024

FAQs

According to our ADT vs. Vivint cost analysis, ADT is more affordable short-term thanks to no upfront equipment fees. Vivint is more affordable on a month-to-month basis and requires substantial upfront equipment fees or monthly financing.

No, Vivint only requires a 3.5- to 5-year contract if you need to finance your equipment. If you pay for all of the equipment upfront, you can cancel at any time with no penalties.

Yes, Vivint and ADT security systems can be integrated with smart products in the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa ecosystems. 

We're giving this one to ADT because it has more customer-friendly policies and guarantees. ADT also has relatively few negative online reviews and Better Business Bureau (BBB) complaints despite boasting around 6 million customers. In contrast, Vivint has about the same number of BBB complaints out of a customer pool of just 2 million. 

How we decided: Vivint vs. ADT

Vivint SkyControl Panel 2 touchscreen interface for home security and smart home control on shelf.

Vivint Sky Panel 2. Image: SafeWise

To determine which brand won out, we tested security systems from both companies. We also visited Vivint headquarters and an ADT technician training center and combined that with hours of research, reading terms and contracts, asking company reps questions, and hearing what real customers have to say.

Learn more about how we review brands on our methodology page.

Vivint vs. ADT verdict: It's a tie

These days, Vivint and ADT are more alike than similar. The best one for you depends on just a few factors. 

  • Choose Vivint if you'd rather pay for equipment upfront in exchange for a month-to-month contract.
  • Choose ADT if you're not afraid of committing to a 3-year contract and tend to like brands with years of experience, customer-friendly policies, and excellent reputations.

Still undecided? Read our full Vivint and ADT reviews to learn more.

Disclaimer

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided "as is" and is subject to change or removal at any time.

†Google, Google Nest Secure, Google Home, Google Nest Protect, and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC.

ADT: $99.00-$199.00 Customer Installation Charge. 36-Month Monitoring Agreement required starting at $59.99 per month ($2,159.64). 24-Month Monitoring Agreement required starting at $59.99 per month ($1,439.76) for California. Form of payment must be by credit card or electronic charge to your checking or savings account. Offer applies to homeowners only. Local permit fees may be required. Satisfactory credit history required. Certain restrictions may apply. Offer valid for new ADT Authorized Dealer customers only and not on purchases from ADT LLC. Other rate plans available. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Smoke Detectors not available in all states. Services not available in all states.

Google Nest is a trademark of Google LLC. The Nest Hub Max requires a Wi-Fi network, a nearby electrical socket, and a compatible (Android, iOS) mobile device. A Google Account is required for full access to features. Minimum OS requirements are available at: Requirements for Google Nest and Chromecast devices - Android - Google Nest Help . iOS is a trademark of Cisco and is used under license.

Money back service guarantee only applies after ADT has made attempts to resolve a system related issue and has not been able to resolve that issue within the first 6 months of your contract. Equipment must be fully removed before a refund will be processed. Conditions preventing normal system operation cannot be caused by the customer.

Katie McEntire
Written by
As a renter, pet-owner, and woman living alone, Katie McEntire takes safety seriously. She’s tested devices like pet cameras, home security systems, and GPS trackers in her own home and devices in the name of safety. In addition to testing, writing, and reviewing for SafeWise, she also makes videos for the site’s YouTube channel. She’s been featured on publications like TechGuySmartBuy, Forbes, Healthy Moms, and Digital Care. Katie has a Bachelor’s degree in Technical Writing from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. She’s held previous writing positions at Overstock.com and Top Ten Reviews.

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